Flora of New Zealand Series

Type locality: "Otago Lake District". Type: K, Hector and Buchanan, Otago. "Flowers past in January."

Mains stems rather stout, creeping and rooting, sts subterranean, up to 5 dm. or more long; branchlets ascending, c. 1-2 cm. long, stout, ± pilose. Lvs 2-5 cm. long, occ. more, 11-13-foliolate. Axis and lflts densely hairy below, less densely hairy to glab. above, pale subglaucous green; stipules unidentate, pilose-ciliate. Upper lflts oblong to obovate, 3-5 × 3-4 mm., occ. larger; petiolule of terminal lflt 1-3 mm. long. Heads sessile or subsessile, 1·5-2.5 cm. diam. including spines, bractlets pilose. Cupules c. 2 mm. long, broad-turbinate, ± pilose. Spines rather stout to slender, up to 1·5 cm. long, pale to yellowish green, finally brownish yellow, occ. red-flushed (f. erubescens Bitter in Fedde Repert. nov. Spec. Regn. veg. 10, 1912, 499). Sepals ovate, subacute, yellowish green. Stamens 2, rarely 1 by abortion; anthers 2 (rarely 1 or 3), yellowish white, filaments elongating. Achenes 2, rarely 1 only developed.

DIST.: S. Montane riverbeds and tussock-grassland, east of divide from lat. 44° to 46°.